More Than 60 People Protest Silently For Gay Rights At Idaho Capitol

More than 60 people protested inside Idaho’s capitol Thursday. They want lawmakers to add the words “sexual orientation and gender identity” to Idaho’s Human Rights Act.

Some of the protesters Thursday were arrested last week for blocking the entrance to the senate chambers. Thursday the protesters stood silently outside senate and house chambers. Former senator Nicole Lefavour says the silent protest is symbolic.

“People stand silently with their hand over their mouth to demonstrate how we’ve been silenced by the legislature. How we’ve been locked out of the legislative process, and how no one’s stories have been heard.” Said Lefavour

The group has tried for eight years to get a hearing on a bill that would extend housing and employment protections to gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people. Socially conservative legislative leaders have refused to bring the bill forward. Lefavour says it’s time for lawmakers to stand up and say it’s wrong to discriminate against gay and transgender people.